‘A Different World’ 25th Anniversary: Where Are They Now?

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the popular series we’re taking a look back at the gang ‘from’ Hillman College and asking ‘Where are they now?’

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Kadeem Hardison: Dwayne Wayne
Kadeem Hardison has appeared in a variety of television shows following A Different World. In 2006, he played American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino’s father in her Lifetime biopic, Life Is Not A Fairytale. In his personal life, Hardison was once married to singer Chante Moore, with whom he has a daughter.

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Sinbad: Coach Walter Oakes
Sinbad continued doing stand-up after leaving A Different World and fronted his own short-lived television series entitled The Sinbad Show. He also starred in Necessary Roughness, which was a box office hit and hosted the longtime syndicated television talent competition Showtime at the Apollo.

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Mary Alice: Leticia “Lettie” Bostic
In 1987, Mary Alice took home a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work in the August Wilson play Fences. She later won an Emmy Award for her supporting actress role in the hit television show I’ll Fly Away. In 2003, she played the Oracle in The Matrix movies after the death of Gloria Foster, who originated the role.

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Lou Myers: Vernon Gaines
Lou Myers has appeared on Broadway in the musical The Color Purple and the hit play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The West Virginia native has also appeared in the films Lackawanna Blues, The Fighting Temptations and How Stella Got Her Groove Back.

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Jada Pinkett Smith: Lena James
Since her start on A Different World, Jada Pinkett Smith has become the biggest star to come out of the series. She appeared in movies like Jason’s Lyric, Demon Night, Lowdown Dirty Shame, Set It Off, The Nutty Professor, Ali, Collateral and two ofThe Matrix films, among others. The Baltimore, Maryland native is also married to box-office superstar Will Smith, with whom she has two children.

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Glynn Turman: Colonel Taylor
Turman played Mayor Royce on the hit HBO drama The Wire. The J.D.’s Revenger star has appeared on television shows such as Law & Order, The Bernie Mac Show and All of Us. Turman also directed such hit shows as The Parent Hood and The Wayans Bros. In 2008, the New York City native won an Emmy Award for his special appearance on the critically-acclaimed HBO series In Treatment.

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Gary Dourdan: Shazza Zulu
Dourdan had success as Warrick Brown on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation for eight years and starred opposite Academy Award winner Halle Berry in the box-office flick Perfect Stranger. More recently he landed the role of a chef in the Salim Akil-directed film, Jumping The Broom

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Jasmine Guy: Whitley Gilbert
Jasmine Guy continues to make a name for herself as a renaissance woman. A former Alvin Ailey dancer, the Boston, Massachusetts native starred in the Broadway musicals The Wiz,Grease and Chicago. She also released an album on Warner Bros. Records and starred in a few movies, most notably Harlem Nights andSchool Daze. Her television credits, following A Different World, include Melrose Place, Living Single, That’s So Raven, and Dead Like Me, to name a few.

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Cree Summer: Winifred “Freddie” Brooks
After the show’s run, Cree found her calling doing voice-over work for television cartoons includingRugrats, and, Transformers: Animated. The Los Angeles native also released a music project,Street Faerie, in 1999 featuring production by Lenny Kravitz.

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Dawnn Lewis: Jaleesa Vinson
Shortly after the series finale of A Different World, Dawnn Lewis found another sitcom home withHangin’ With Mr. Cooper as Robin. She appeared in the Academy Award nominated film Dreamgirlsand starred in the theater musical adaptation of the movie Sister Act.

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Darryl M. Bell: Ronald “Ron” Johnson
The Chicago-born native and Syracuse University alum is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Since his breakout role in School Daze and A Different World he has starred in the short-lived WB sitcom Homeboys In Outer Space, and made appearances on Living Single, Cosbyand For Your Love.

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Lisa Bonet: Denise Huxtable
Bonet has appeared in various films since her starring role on Cosby and A Different Worldincluding Biker Boyz, Enemy of the State andHigh Fidelity. Her daughter with Lenny Kravitz, Zoe, is also an actress. In 2007, she gave birth to her second daughter, Lola Iolani Momoa, with actor Jason Momoa.